Remembering a different password for every online service we use is difficult without cheating. And so we do cheat, which lowers security and makes us more vulnerable to being hacked. That's where biometric security comes in. It allows for a unique aspect of your body, for example, a fingerprint or your face, to be used as your password.

That solves the problem of remembering passwords, but it poses another problem. Your fingerprint and face are unique and therefore can't be changed. So if that biometric data is stolen it can't ever be relied upon again, meaning as a biometric authentication solution it is no longer viable for the individual.

Computer Science Professor Cheung Yiu-ming of the Hong Kong Baptist University believes he has come up with a solution to this problem in the form of Lip Motion Passwords. Lip Passwords work by authenticating against the unique motion of an individual's lips as they say a particular word or phrase. In order to grant access to a laptop, for example, the owner would speak their password while the integrated camera watched. If the lip pattern matches what's on record, access is granted.

Lip Passwords offer a number of advantages over more typical biometric security methods. Top of the list is the option to change the password as many times as you wish. Because authentication is done against lip movement, it's possible to repeatedly record new lip movements and reset the Lip Password. They are also independent of language, meaning they will work worldwide and can even be setup to use lip movements that don't even make sense as words.

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Another benefit is the ability to combine a Lip Password with another method of biometric authentication. The Lip Password requires a camera, so it would be easy to combine the system with facial recognition. Access would then only be granted if the face was recognized and the lip pattern matched.

Even alone, Lip Passwords are incredibly difficult to circumvent. Everyone's lip patterns are unique for every spoken word which another person can't mimic. Even if someone witnesses you speaking your Lip Password they would not be able to say it themselves and gain access to your account/system. Add to that the ability to change your Lip Password at any time and the security advantages of this biometric authentication solution are clear.

Because it doesn't really matter if someone hears your Lip Password, it can be used anywhere. As well as granting access to any camera-equipped laptop, smartphone, or tablet, there's nothing to stop integration with ATMs or even using them as payment verification in retail stores.

About the Author

Matthew is PCMag's UK-based editor and news reporter. Prior to joining the team, he spent 14 years writing and editing content on our sister site Geek.com and has covered most areas of technology, but is especially passionate about games tech. Alongside PCMag, he's a freelance video game designer. Matthew holds a BSc degree in Computer Science from... See Full Bio

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